Skilled axemen put in a hard day’s work during the annual International Woodchopping Event at Speight’s Ale House on Sunday.
Over 50 people took part in the event, including members of the Nelson Axemen’s Club, axemen from around New Zealand, as well as several from Australia and Canada, many of whom also competed at the Blenheim A&P Show the day before.
The Nelson event has been running for around six years and was established in support of the Blenheim A&P Show when the Blenheim club was struggling for numbers.
“People don’t travel for a one day meeting like they do for two days,” says New Zealand Axemen’s Association president Dave McEwen.
“Travel expenses are the same but you’re only getting one day chopping, so we did it really to support them and then, by default just about, it made a circuit out of it for the guys travelling so they do Blenheim, Nelson and then head to Christchurch for the Canterbury A&P Show where over 100 axemen will be competing.”
Dave says the reason he loves the sport is because of the camaraderie.
“If you play rugby for instance, you might play JAB rugby, you’ll go through the grades until you’re 25 or 30 maybe and then you’re gone. In this sport, you can start as soon as you’re big enough to hold an axe and there’s a guy here today who’s over 70 and still competing. You’re only competing against yourself, it’s you and one piece of wood, the more you put into it the more you’ll get out.”
The International Woodchopping Event featured several categories from single and double saw, to underhand, standing, a three-man team event and the International Teams Race which saw the Speights Invitation Team take on the International Invitation Team.
While those from out of town took out most of the top places, local standouts were sixteen-year-old Garin College student Owen Wratt, who placed second in the 250mm open standing event and helped win the three-man team event, alongside Ross Birchfield from Stoke.
It was a tight competition in the International Teams Race with Speights leading until the second to last log where the International team overtook, winning the race by two hits.
Organisers would like to thank Speight’s Ale House, Mitre 10 Mega and Goldpine, whose sponsorship makes the event possible.